Kill Ugly Radio: Frank Zappa & Elsewhere

Growing up as a Canadian teenager in the 1970s, one could literally count the number of well known “homegrown” musical groups and artists on the fingers of one’s hand (okay, maybe two). The trouble was that, at the time, Canada really didn’t possess a viable recording industry. For any Canadian musician or group to “make it”, they literally had to leave the country to do so. Whether you were Joni Mitchell, Anne Murray, The Guess Who, The Sparrows (who would become Steppenwolf upon their move to the U.S.), Denny Doherty (of The Mamas & the Papas), or Neil Young you had to relocate south if you wanted any kind of career.
Another such Canadian export is this week’s Sunday Big Note, Montreal-born, Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush, performing at Sherwood Hall in Salinas, California on January 26th, 1983:

Midnight Highway

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Maybe It’s Time

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Strange Dreams

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Free

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Poppy

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Something’s Comin’

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Johnny B. Goode

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Who Do You Love?

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Drum Solo

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Juggernaut

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Bonus Tracks(California Jam II, Ontario, CA, 18 March 1978):

I’m A King Bee

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Johnny B Goode

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Purple Haze

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Frank Marino is interviewed on Montreal’s Mose Persico Show on CJAD 800 AM after his December 3rd, 2010, show at Montreal’s Corona Theatre:

I always recall Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush being one of those extremely popular acts whenever they came to town, always filling venues to capacity. Since Zappa, Clapton, and Beck seldom, if ever came to many Canadian cities – Frank Marino was THE GUITAR GOD for countless numbers of Canadian teens.

17 Responses to “Sunday Big Note – Listening Session #13”

saw him many times..is no slouch… I don’t compare guitar slingers but this cat is good as any thats up there on the guitar hero list.maybe you don’t like his music but hey this just my opinion and i dig him.

The “Salinas’ concert and the full California Jam set are the only live recordings i have sadly. Good stuff though.

If you were a Canadian alive in the 70s, it was almost a certainty that you had Mahogany Rush’s 1978 live album in your record collection. During the era of “arena rock” Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush certainly did excel, and after long cold nasty Canadian winters, Mahogany Rush was just the antidote for lots of young men with cabin fever. He might not have been as widely popular as an Eric Clapton or a Jeff Beck, or as much a guitar virtuoso as an Al DiMeola or a Frank Zappa, yet Frank Marino had carved out his own distinctive musical niche. That Marino is still packing them in really says something.

The “Salinas’ concert and the full California Jam set are the only live recordings i have sadly. Good stuff though.

If you were a Canadian alive in the 70s, it was almost a certainty that you had Mahogany Rush’s 1978 live album in your record collection. During the era of “arena rock” Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush certainly did excel, and after long cold nasty Canadian winters, Mahogany Rush was just the antidote for lots of young men with cabin fever. He might not have been as widely popular as an Eric Clapton or a Jeff Beck, or as much a guitar virtuoso as an Al DiMeola or a Frank Zappa, yet Frank Marino had carved out his own distinctive musical niche. That Marino is still packing them in really says something.

I have all the official live albums on LP and CD. I haven’t seen many bootleg recordings other than the 2 I mentioned. In the late 70s and 80s i saw many Canadian bands. Max Webster, April Wine, Rush, Saga etc. I have loads of stuff by bands like Prism, Triumph, Moxy, Kim Mitchell, Pursuit Of Happiness and lots more too lol

Major props for mentioning Max Webster!!!! I loved that band, and consider Kim Mitchell to be one of the greatest unknown guitarists in the world.

Put on your sunglasses, get into the parade….!

Agreed. I was blown away when i saw Max Webster and went out and bought all their LPs. Consistently brilliant stuff. Kim Mitchell is one talented musician. It amazes me that he isnt more well known outside of Canada

In the late 70s and 80s i saw many Canadian bands. Max Webster, April Wine, Rush, Saga etc. I have loads of stuff by bands like Prism, Triumph, Moxy, Kim Mitchell, Pursuit Of Happiness and lots more too lol

All the bands that you mentioned benefitted from the Canadian Content Law that was passed in 1971. Before that time, it was nearly impossible for Canadian acts to get airplay on Canadian stations. It also made a “homegrown” recording industry viable. The result was the explosion of Canadian bands in the 1980s. Still, for me, it was groups like Mahogany Rush, Rush, Trooper, etc that paved the road for those groups and musicians that followed.

In the late 70s and 80s i saw many Canadian bands. Max Webster, April Wine, Rush, Saga etc. I have loads of stuff by bands like Prism, Triumph, Moxy, Kim Mitchell, Pursuit Of Happiness and lots more too lol

All the bands that you mentioned benefitted from the Canadian Content Law that was passed in 1971. Before that time, it was nearly impossible for Canadian acts to get airplay on Canadian stations. It also made a “homegrown” recording industry viable. The result was the explosion of Canadian bands in the 1980s. Still, for me, it was groups like Mahogany Rush, Rush, Trooper, etc that paved the road for those groups and musicians that followed.

I’d forgotten about Trooper. I have their first album. A red and orange cover i seem to remember with a diagonal logo. I never ever saw any more of their albums here in England though.

Admittedly, Numpty, a lot of Canadian albums in the late 70s and 80s were hit and miss. Trooper and Prism are good examples of this. One album being really fantastic – Hot Shots and Armageddon, respectively – then their follow-ups beings less than spectacular. Note that Hot Shots was a Greatest Hits compilation album by Trooper, and Prism’sArmageddon featured songwriting & arranging presence of future 80′s superstar Bryan Adams.

Admittedly, Numpty, a lot of Canadian albums in the late 70s and 80s were hit and miss. Trooper and Prism are good examples of this. One album being really fantastic – Hot Shots and Armageddon, respectively – then their follow-ups beings less than spectacular. Note that Hot Shots was a Greatest Hits compilation album by Trooper, and Prism’sArmageddon featured songwriting & arranging presence of future 80′s superstar Bryan Adams.

Yes i have the Armageddon LP (2 different copies for some reason lol). The title track is a classic. The first Prism album is my favourite of theirs. My record collection is full of relatively unknown U.S. and Canadian rock bands. Zon’s three albums and all of Teaze’s albums for example haha

Yes Armageddon is very good. I prefer the first Prism album myself. I haven’t seen my record collection for a long time but i’m amazed at the amount of Canadian albums i have. Every Teaze album. The three Zon albums etc. I haven’t had a record deck for 10 years. Would be nice to hear that stuff again

Numpty, did you ever hear much of proggers Sloche? Or soft-prog Cano? I have quite fond memories of those outfits, never heard much about them after the late ’70s….

No Slap… I haven’t heard them… I’m a reviewer on Prog Archives website too so i really should have heard of them i suppose. Sloche’s albums are highly rated on the Prog Archives website. Here are a couple of links:

You are reading Sunday Big Note – Listening Session #13 which was posted on Sunday, February 6th, 2011 at 12:21 am by urbangraffito. This entry is filed under Interview, Music, Personal, Sunday Big Note, YouTubery.
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